You should floss your teeth thoroughly at least once a day to remove plaque from the areas that your toothbrush cannot reach. Follow the steps below for proper flossing, and contact your doctor if you have any questions.

1. Wind about 18 inches of floss around your middle fingers as shown. Most of it should be wrapped around one finger, and as the floss is used, the other finger takes it up.
2. Use your thumbs and forefingers to guide about one inch of floss between your teeth.
3. Holding the floss tightly, gently saw the floss between your teeth. Then curve the floss into a C-shape against one tooth and gently slide it beneath your gums.
4. Slide the floss up and down, repeating for each side of each tooth.

Flossing may be the most important thing you can do for yourself to maintain your dental health. It is between the teeth where cavities and gum disease can be most prevalent and flossing, for the most part, eliminates these concerns.

Our gum-specialist colleagues have stated it is more important to floss your teeth than it is to brush them. Make it a part of your routine home care by getting the floss out of the drawer or medicine cabinet and putting it somewhere you will see it and think about it. If you're watching television and a commercial comes on, get a piece of floss and floss your teeth while you're watching. Place some floss in your purse or car and use it while someone else is driving. Just find a way to do it without it being an inconvenience.

You don't have to floss all of your teeth… just those you want to keep!